Ludhiana: Deepak Verma, a Class XII student at the Government Senior Secondary School in Ludhiana's Jawahar Nagar, is all set to participate in the 2023 edition of 'Pariksha pe Charcha'. An annual show featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the format sees the PM answering questions from school students, their parents, as well as teachers in attendance. For Verma, however, the selection denotes a breakout of recognition, one, in his own words, that got him his 'first ever' certificate.
Enthusiastic about the chance, Deepak said, while speaking to ETV Bharat, "He saw the registration form in his teacher's WhatsApp status and took the link from her. On October 10, after clearing a 1,500-word essay as well as a self-devised question and its answer, Verma said he received a certificate from examining authorities.
When asked about his choice of topic, Deepak said it was education--specifically, the lack of prospects for students hailing from the economically weaker sections of society--who are unable to get on with their studies after completing high school. Revealing a personal connection to the issue, he further stated that his brother had followed the same pattern, swapping further education for a livelihood.
"Our father used to work at a Hero Cycle factory, but got fired some time ago. He is above 75 years and cannot rejoin work. There is a minimal pension that he receives. This led my brother to stop his studies and join work" he said. When enquired about issues he would like to highlight at the event, Verma said handling pre-examination mental pressure was a recurrent element for him, and he would try to ask the Prime Minister about any ways to control the same.
Meanwhile, Cherry Mittal, who teaches Physics at the school and the teacher in question, who had provided Verma with the registration link, said she was proud of the Class XII student's dedication. "We always push our children to be aware of their duty to society, apart from education, to make them capable of societal betterment. I, and all other teachers, are proud of him as this feat has not been achieved by even private schools from Ludhiana. I was moved when he put up his certificate on his status and wrote that this was the very first certificate he had acquired in life," Mittal pointed out.
